Use of Disposable Diapers to Collect Urine in Exposure Studies

Abstract:

Large studies of children's health as it relates to exposures to chemicals in the environment often require measurements of biomarkers of chemical exposures or effects in urine samples. But collection of urine samples from infants and toddlers is difficult. For large exposure studies, such as the National Children's Study (NCS), it is highly desirable to identify a low burden, low-cost method for collection of urine from infants and very young children. Disposable diapers that contain polyacrylate granules and fibers are the most widely used diapers for hygiene purposes. But their use to collect urine that can be analyzed for environmental contaminants and blomarker compounds has not been tested adequately.

This project consists of a laboratory study to evaluate a method for measuring biomarkers of current-use pesticides in urine samples collected with commercially-available disposable diapers. An initial set of tests will be performed to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed solvent extraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis method. If the initial tests demonstrate that the method is likely to provide acceptable performance, a more comprehensive set of tests will be performed to demonstrate if the disposable diapers are suitable for use in the NCS.

Although this work was reviewed by EPA and approved for publication, it may not necessarily reflect official Agency policy.